PPAP Opening at Newark Arts Alliance

Last night was the opening for our group show at the Newark Arts Alliance in Newark Delaware and it was a packed house full or friends, family, fellow painters and a lot of art lovers. It was a a bit nippy as they say, and the traffic was mad crazy on the way down from Philly, but it was warm and toasty inside the gallery.

                                                    Alexandra Tyng and Nancy B Miller

                                      Alina and Niloofar talk about her painting which sold!

                                                 Alina in front of a few of her paintings

                                            Charles and his family in front of the food court

                                     Jen and her Hubby Rob and our friend Margaret from school

                                                   Kid Flash rushed through for a look

Here I am in front of my wall

                               Niloofar with members from the NAA and in front of her work

I was told and don't know if it's true but our opening might have been the biggest attendance they have had for a show. It was great to also see so many fellow painters and old school mates show up so we could reconnect and talk art and catch up. I did so much talking I didn't take as many pictures as I usually do, but I did get some and even a short video. It was also great that there were some sales as well for the opening. We had quite a spread of goodies to munch on as wine to drink so everybody seemed happy, arty and content. Its also great when fellow painters show up so you can talk shop and gossip--we all love some art gossip.

                                                     Our Group shot from the show: Lexi Thomas, Niloofar GH, Nancy B Miller, Michael Cole Manley, Alina Osipov, William Sentman, Jen Polillo, Charles Newman

I know I might be prejudiced but I think our show looked great, hung well together and I am proud to be amongst this group of great painters that inspire me and keep me motivated. I have said it many times and will say it here, having a group of fellow artists that are on the same trip, to support and share the joy of being an artist,, even in the hard times and bad days in the studio cannot be overvalued. This show is the result of that love and support. A big thanks to the fellow artists and staff of the Newark Arts Alliance for inviting us to have a show and for being great hosts!

It was a great night!

Group show for the PPAP at the Newark Arts Alliance

Tomorrow the group hangs its show for at the Newark Arts Alliance which opens next Friday!

The PAPP at the DuPont Environmental Education Center

Hello Plein Air enthusiasts, welcome back! I'm trying to catch up on the blog with some of recent plein air outings by the PPAP in and around the Philadelphia area.

On a fine Saturday about two weeks back William, Jen and I headed down to the DuPont Environmental Education Center in Wilmington, for a great day of painting on the beautiful Wilmington River Walk. 

Will and I drove down from Philly and Jen drove up to meet us as she knows the area better than the both of us as she lives in Delaware. Arriving a bit early Will and I scouted around the area and then Jen suggested we head over to the DuPont Environmental Education Center, which we did. 

It is a great place to visit and walk, jog and take pictures or paint. I saw many photographers out snapping pics of the beautiful Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge, marsh and wetlands as well and many joggers and people out walking their dogs.

 It was a very sunny day and as we scouted around for painting spots, and we found a lot of great views, the sun started heating things up. So we all were looking for a spot with some shade to avoid getting cooked and there were not a lot of shady spots and the temp had climbed into the upper 80's.
 

 Jen set up on the third floor of the Education Center and Will and myself set up under the walkway which afforded us a great view plus shade. I brought along my new Julian Plein Air unbrella, which really did come in handy to block the sun on me and my canvas--I'm so glad I finally bought myself one.






It was just past solar noon as we all hurried to get painting as the sun clock was ticking. As usual we had many onlookers and interested parties as we worked. Poor Will even had some kind of birthday or Quince Anos party set up for pics and block his view for a while.

Even though it was a challenge I wanted to paint the old train bridge that crossed the river off the Environmental center. I brought along my old yard stick to use as a mahl stick which helped. And you can even watch a video I shot of part of my painting process on this painting on my youtube page. 

A subject like this really forces my concentration to the ultimate, to really look and think before I paint. I painted this painting on a little MDF panel I made back in school that was coated with 3 layers gesso.  i love the depth and counter angles of this view and really want to go back and paint other views of this bridge.

 

                                   But eventually the light changed too much so we all called it a day.

                               My painting for the day, Old Train Bridge,  8 x 20 Oil on panel

 
         









  






LEFT: William's handsome little canvas, a great composition and similar view to mine. 

RIGHT:  Jen's great painting vista from the second floor of the nature Center

PPAP Paint the Newark Art Alliance Garden Tour 2014

Under clear blue June skies with perfect weather for some plein air painting, the PPAP traveled to Newark Delaware at the invitation of the Newark Art Alliance to paint at their 2014 Garden Tour. The group of painters Jen Polillo, William and Alina Sentman and myself arrived at the NAA gallery around 11 and meet the director and volenteers and got maps of the 11 gardens that spread across Delaware and up into southern Pennsylnania.

                                                                    The Asian Garden

Since the day was burning away fast we decided to try and scout out the closest gardens and then choose our spots to paint as we had only about three hours to paint. We did loose some time due to heavy traffic on 1-95 coming down due to road closures.

We started at the gardens on the grounds of President of the University of Delaware and then hit four more local gardens about 5 minutes apart.




















We decided to settle on the last garden we visited and then if time allowed to go back to the President's garden. It would have been great to paint all of the gardens but we would have needed more painters and more time. The tour only lasted till 3pm, so time was burning away fast after we picked our spot. The gardens all looked great but we need a "Goldilocks" spot that could accomidate the four of us and give enough views---and shade! I ordered my easel umbrella but it hasn't arrived yet and with a coudless sky you need some cover to paint and not get burned up. Except for the Presiden's garden most of the gradens we visited didn't offer that much shade.

The Wilgen Garden

We all finally settled on the beautiful garden and home of Julie Wilgen as it had everything we needed, good views, angles and shade, so we set up and got to work. Another benefit of the garden we choose was that there was nice music being played by the Serenata Strings and a cool friendly dog named King Solomon. Mrs. Wilgen was a gracious host and even brought us some water and refreshments.

I choose an angle where I knew the shadows would not change much and also give me a good contrast of light and darks. I painted on a panel I bought a while back at Dick Blick, I think it was a Blick cradeled panel, which had a nice surface that was slightly textured.

                         















Here is my block-in and my final painting.

                                                Here is apic of me working that Jen took

Here is Jen's block-in and final painting

                                               Will and Alina set up in front of the house

It was great time and we hand many on-lookers come by and watch as we painted through the afternoon. The clouds did come in about halfway through and the light changed for a time, but that's just something you have to deal with and plan for.

 


















The time went quickly and before you know it we were done! We had wanted to go back to the President's garden but the tour was done by the time we were done with our paintings at the Wilgen garden, but I did snap many pictures from the gardens I visited that I can work from if I desire.


Will once again painted with gouache and got a great result!

The group will be having a group show at the NAA Gallery in January which will include the work we painted during the garden tour as well as other work.

We'd like to thank the NAA for inviting us to come and paint during their garden tour and look forward to perhaps doing this again next year.

Group Opening at Ed Olivers

Friday was the official opening of the group show for the PPAP at Ed Oliver's Golf Cub in Wilmington.

We had a great turn out and we also had lots of family and friends come out since it was a local show, like fellow PAFA Alumni and awesome painter David Shevlino.

It was a great night and full of laughs and art talk. We even cooked up some more ideas for the group and shows and events for the PPAP.  Since we are all alumni of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts it was great to share stories from the 80's till now about fellow students and faculty and our time at PAFA.

We also talked about our work with the art lovers who showed up, discussing where we painted the scene and locations in and around Philly and South Jersey. There were even some sales!

With the weather starting to turn nice we are all anxious to get back outside and paint!

PPAP Group Show!

The PPAP will be having a group show at the Ed Oliver Golf Club featuring the work of Alina Osipov Sentman, Charles Newman, Alexandra Thomas, Michael Cole Manley, William Sentman, Cynthia Harvey and Jennifer Polillo. Stop down for our opening reception to meet the artists Friday, April 18th, 6:30 to 8:30.